Improvement in sewi ng-m ac



W. C. WATSON.

Sewing Machine.

. Patented Dec. 8. 1857.

UNITED STATES "W. C. IVATSON, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND GEO. H

IVOOSIER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part or Letters Patent No. 18.834. dated December8, 18137.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. Larson, of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,of a machine with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewof the same, the plane of section being at right angles to Fig. 1, andin a direction parallel with the feed movement and passing close to theneedle. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, in the same plane as Fig. 2, ofthe principal working parts of the machine, exhibiting them in adifferent condition to that figure. Fig. 4 is a side view of the feedingdevice. Fig. 5 is a top view of the looper and the feeding device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in the employment, in a sewing-machine, of astationary needle combined in such a manner with a reciprocating tableor cloth-holder that the protrusion of the needle through the cloth ormaterial being sewed is caused by the movement of the said material, bywhich means several advantages are obtained over the use of areciprocating needle and stationary table or cl oth-holder.

It also consists in certain contrivances for operating the looper andfeeder.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

A is a base or bed plate, on which is erected a standard, B B C, ofwhich the two upright portions 13 B support a stationary horizontaltable, I), and the portion 0, which is of cranenecked form, sustains theneedle-bar E, at the bottom of which is the needle 0, which is of thekind most commonly used in sewing-machinesviz., having an eye near itspoint. In the center or other convenient part of the stationary table Da recess is constructed to receive what I call the reciprocating tableF, which may be of circular or other form, and which is attached by asmall standard, F, ot a cross-head, G, which slides between guides inthe two upright portions B B of the main standard, and which derives avertical recip rocating rectilinear motion parallel with the needle froma cam, H, on a horizontal shaft, I, aided by a spring, S, the said shaftworking in bearings 011 the lower part of the main standard, and thesaid cam acting on a stud, a, secured to the cross-head. The needle-barE is secured in a socket, C, at the extremity of the crane-neckedportion 0 of the main standard by a binding-screw, b, which permits itto be adjusted higher or lower to bring the needle e to a properelevation.

J- is the pressurepad having a socket fitted to slide on the needle-barE, which has a spring, d, coiled round it, between the said pressurepadand the socket O, to produce the necessary pressure on the pad to causeit to confine the cloth or other material being sewed to the surface ofthe reciprocating table F, or to the feeding device attached to the saidtable. The spring (I permits the pressurepad to move up and down withthe reciproeating table F, and the said table and pressure-pad may beconsidered together as a re ciprocating cloth-holder. The upright socketJ of the pressure-pad contains a vertical slot,

f, which slides upon a screw or pin, e, in the needle-bar during thereciprocating motion of the pad with the table F, and at the bottom ofthis slot f there is a slot, branching off in a horizontal direction. Bypushing the pressure-pad as high as possible up the needle-bar with thehand, and then turning it to bring the slot 9 on the screw or pin e, thepad is caused to be held up from the table F in such a manner as topermit the cloth or material to be sewed to be placed or adjusted on thesaid table. The table F has ahole in it for the needle to work through,like the stationary table of other machines. The reciprocating motion ofthe table F and pressure-pad causes'the stationary needle to passthrough and leave the cloth in the same manner as though the cloth wereplaced upon a stationary table and the needle had a reciprocatingmotion. The thread is to be supplied to the needle from a spool placedon the top of the crane-necked portion 0 of the main standard, and topass through a guide-hole drilled in the lower front part of thepressurepad down to the needle,

' does to the stationary table of other machines;

and it will be readily understood that to have such relation thosedevices. must be attached to or be otherwise caused to have the samereciprocating motion as the table or cloth-holder.

In the example of my invention representedin the drawings, a looper, h,is employed to 'enchain the needle-thread, toform what is known as thechainstitch. This looper, which is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and ofwhich a top View is given in Fig. 4, consists of a pointed tongue ofsteel or other metal attached by a pivot, t, to the plate L, that issecured rigidly to the top of a lever, K, which works on a fulcrum, j,attached to the cross-head G, the'said fulcrum being so arranged thatthe plane of vibration of said lever will be perpendicular, or nearly,so to the axis of the shaft I. This lever K is held in contact with theshaft I by means of a spring, 70, attached to" lever to derive avibrating motion from the re ciprocating motion of its fulcrum with thesaid table. It is obvious that the same movement may be produced bycausing the offset Z of the lever K to pass in contact with anystationary piece. This vibrating motion of the lever K gives the looperthe necessary movement to carry it between the thread and needle to formthe loop, and to cause it to extend the loop for the needle to passthrough and afterward to withdraw it from the loop, the entrance of thelooper between the needle and thread and extension of the loop beingeffected as the table descends and the cloth moves off the needle, andthe withdrawal of the looper from the loop being effected as the tablerises and the needle is being protruded through the cloth. The looper,besides having the direct movement back and forth to form and bewithdrawn from the loop, receives a lateral movement upon its pivot L,just before the descent of the reciprocating table F and movement of thelooper into the loop terminate, for the purpose of bringing the loopinto a position for the needle to pass through, said lateral movementbeing effected by a spring, on, and a stationary guideplate, n, againstwhich the looper is held by the said spring till it has made about halfof its movement into=the loop, when it (the looper) passes the saidplate and is moved laterally by the spring. lVhen the loop er is beingretracted,

it is moved laterally in the oppositedirection, out of the way of theneeedle, by coming in contact with the guide-plate a.

where it is represented in black outline in the position it occupiesbefore the commencement of its movement to form the loop, and in blueoutline at the termination of its movement into the loop. The loop isshown in dottedred outline in this figure to correspond with theposition of the looper that is represented in blue outline; Theoperation of this looper in forming the loop differs very slightly fromthat of some loopers in use, and it is presumed will be fully understoodwithout further description.

Mis the feeding device, consisting of a metal plate of the form of asegment of a circle, or nearly so, fitted to oscillate on a pivot,1;,which is secured in the cross-head G. One edge of this plate, whichis in form of a true circle described from the pivot p, and which isserrated, works through a slot in the table, F, and projects slightlyabove the surface of the table, so that the cloth or material beingsewed will be confined to it by the pressure-pad. This plate M receivesa vibrating movement in the direction in which it is required to feedthe cloth or other material by one of its edges sliding in contact withthe end of a plate or bar, N, which is secured to the stationary table Das the reciprocating table F descends, and it .is returned as the tablerises, so th'at it may be in readiness to feed again by means of aspring, q,which is attached to the cross-head G, and which pressesagainst the opposite edge to that which slides against the bar N. Thefeed-plate M is prevented drawing back the cloth by reason of the needlebeing in the cloth when the said plate moves back. The length of ,feedis regulated by setting the bar N in or out, said bar being madeadjustable lengthwise and secured in its adjustment by means of asetscrew, 1', passing through a slot in the bar.

The advantages obtained by making the needle stationary and giving thetable or clothholder a reciprocating movement to protrude the needlethrough and retract it from the cloth, are, 'first, greater simplicityof construction of the machine, all the movements being derived throughvery simple means from the reciprocating movement of the table, and withfewer parts than are generally used when the needle moves and the tableor cloth-holder is stationary; second, increased capability for doingheavy work without a corresponding increase of strength of the workingand driving parts of the machine; third, the use of ashorter needle,(which is consequently stiffer without being stouter.) This lastadvantage is obtained by less clearance being required between the clothand the needle-bar than when the pressure-pad is applied in the wayscommon to the machines in which the needle moves.

I will remark, in conclusion, that the cam H and spring S, forgiving-motion to the table,

The movement of. the looper is illustrated in Fig. 4,

may with advantage have an eccentric substilever which is carried by thereciprocating tuted for them; but these devices serve as well as anyother to illustrate my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The employment of a stationary needle combined in such manner with areciprocating table or cloth-holder that the protrusion of the needlethrough the cloth or material being sewed is caused by themovement ofthe said material, substantially and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. Operating the looper by attaching it to a table or cloth-holder andwhich derives motion from the movement of the said table or cloth-holderthrough an offset on one of its edges working in contact with thedriving shaft or its equivalent, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination of the reciprocating table 0r cloth-holder, theoscillating feed-plate M, the stationary bar N and the spring q, thewhole operating, substantially as described,to produce the movement of.the cloth in the di rection to produce the seam.

W. O. WATSON.

Witnesses:

W. TUsoH, J. T. BUGKLEY.

